Diabetic foot ulcers present a significant healthcare challenge due to the impaired healing and complications that may be associated with it. Cell based therapies have advanced tremendously in the past decades and have the potential to advance treatments for numerous injuries and diseases (1). This study aims to optimise a wound healing cell therapy product by using human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells seeded on a Viscofan collagen sponge under macromolecular crowding (MMC) conditions. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are vital for regenerative wound healing and they have been shown to promote ulcer healing, improve blood supply and have a favorable safety profile (2, 3). MMC has shown the ability to enhance the deposition of extracellular matrix deposition, improve cell viability and accelerate tissue regeneration (4). The optimal culture environment will be determined by using varying cell-seeding densities (500,000 and 1,000,000 human umbilical cord (hUC)-MSCs under MMC and non-MMC conditions. Comprehensive methodologies will be used such as LIVE/DEAD assays for cell viability, PicoGreen assays for proliferation, PrestoBlue assays for metabolic activity, and Matrigel tubulogenesis assays to assess angiogenic capacity. Moreover, fibronectin immunofluorescence will be used to assess extracellular matrix deposition and hematoxylin and eosin staining will be used to assess scaffold and cellular morphology. This research project builds on the evidence which demonstrates the potential of extracellular matrix-based biomaterials and MMC to enhance cell functionality and tissue repair. While there is evidence, the current skin substitutes have flaws and an ideal one has not been created yet (5). The findings are expected to contribute to the development of an effective, scalable therapeutic approach for chronic wounds which addresses a critical clinical need aiming to reduce the burden on healthcare.
